Friday, November 10, 2017

the tech-death of Arkaik

The California act has been in business for a long time, since 2004. With time they have improved their brand of music, and on this, their fifth album, you will find that, sure, yes, they are very much a tech band from head to toe, back to front, forwards and backwards, but they have made an effort to add other things to their sound so that it is not an exercise in total technical metal for technical musicians. The music is still very much in the realm of technical-progressive extreme metal with growling, but there are breaks and pauses that add some melody, some slower segments and quieter interludes that give a moment to catch up a bit on the craziness. There is still not a whole lot of melody, and there is no change in genre going on at all, but Arkaik is undoubtedly working on making its art more specific to Arkaik.

If blasting progressive/technical extreme metal is a genre that you support, and you have not heard the band's latest album called Nemethia, listen to the full album at the first link below.

Biography (not updated): Arkaik's debut album, “Reflections Within Dissonance”, displayed a unique marriage of superior craftsmanship and a forward-thinking promise rarely seen in a band this young. Their sophomore album, “Metamorphignition” builds on their progressive and adventurous predilections and aims to transcend the boundaries of “technical Death Metal” even as it revels in the sub-genre's wanton brutality. The band's founder Jared Christianson (vocals) has pooled an immensely talented core of musicians around the band in its over ten years of progression, including emerging drum phenom Alex Bent (who has already done session work for Decrepit Birth/Rings Of Saturn/Battlecross), bassist Ivan Mungia (Deeds of Flesh), and lead/rhythm guitarists Miguel Esparza and Greg Paulson. Having already toured North America supporting Black Dahlia Murder in 2011, and Cannibal Corpse in 2012, they have been touring ever since creating their own enthusiastic fanbase and pushing the genre forward. Now Arkaik has released another crushing onslaught in the form of their newest full-length release "Lucid Dawn" in late 2015, their third Unique Leader Record release to date. Looking forward with ever increasing determination the band continues to seek out new boundaries of extremity and creativity – and then annihilate them.